Where Hearts Belong
by LSam
Summary: William Traynor, CEO of his own company meets Louisa in an accident... We'll see where their journey takes them.
1. Chapter 1

Dear new readers,

I am a new author and I would love to hear your feedback. Please respect where this story is starting and where it will continue to go. I am an English learner so please forgive my grammar and any spelling errors. All the characters belong to the "Me Before You" book by JoJo Moyes. This story is inspired by her book and the movie. You may see a few lines borrowed throughout the story from her book as I think it would need to hold some original content. I wanted to acknowledge that from the beginning. Hope you enjoy these two flawed characters as they will go through challenges and find new beginnings together. Enjoy!

Chapter 1

Will POV

This was going to be a fantastic week. It had been a long time since I took a break from my new company. I had been the best at everything. Heck, I almost became the vice president of that last company until that CEO died of a heart attack. Damn… I was so close. I didn't want to think about it now. I had been working on my own company for the last three years and so far, it was doing pretty well. This was my dream come true. I needed to take this time off before I had to bury myself in work again. I wanted to explore so much this week and I did not care to look at any emails or answer any phone calls from work. But I had to make sure I wasn't being too complacent. My dad had reassured me he would buzz me if there was anything important, but so far everything seemed fine. Not that I had a great relationship with my dad but we had been trying to work together for the last three years. We had our ups and downs but nonetheless, he had been helping me a lot. At least I tried to appreciate him for that.

I had asked my best friend, Rupert, to come with me on this trip. He had been with me through the rough times for the last three years. He knew well how hard I worked to get this company started and keep it going.

He had given me the thumbs up to go hiking today. He wasn't himself much of a hiker but I persuaded him to come along.

I could smell the fresh air and the flowers around. I loved exploring new adventures here and there. Although hiking this hill was not a new adventure. I wanted to start this vacation with the easier activities then tackle the harder ones during the week.

I could see from the corner of my eye that Rupert was already done with this hike and he wanted to go back and enjoy the resort's amenities. But I was not the one who would give up quickly and call it a day.

We had hiked for about thirty minutes and we were talking about what our week would look like. We wanted to go bungee jumping, snorkeling, kayaking and hit the bars at nights. I knew this would be a really fun week. We were also discussing the possibility of our friends David and Andrew to join us when we heard a loud thump ahead of us… What was it? It boggled my mind. My heart started to pound. I looked around and the only thing I saw was the mountain around us. It wasn't too high, at least that's what I thought. I could have probably climbed it within thirty minutes or so. It didn't seem that anyone would have fallen, or could have gotten hurt from falling. But as I was coming around I could see the other side of this mountain. It was much steeper and deeper than what my naked eye could have seen. As I was trying to figure out what had happened, I heard someone's voice in a distance.

I could not hear it that well, it was so weak. Someone needed help. I prayed in my heart that they were okay and that they only had only broken some bones. I, myself wasn't a doctor but I had some medical experience in the past when I was in Uni. It was just to have something on the side to do while I was finishing business school. That would have been my option two, going to the medical field.

As we came around the mountain, I saw her. She was laying on the ground. She was trying her best to use whatever energy she had to find help. But no one was around. How did she fall? Was someone with her? I looked around and I saw no one. What the hell? I pushed my thoughts aside. This girl needed my help.

I looked at her again. She was wearing this crazy outfit. Oh God, what was she wearing? This fluffy purple poke-dots shirt and a skirt that had different patterns on it. That didn't matter. Again, I had to get a grip on myself and focus on what she needed at this moment.

I looked at her again. I didn't know where she was hurting. I immediately asked Rupert to call the emergency services.

"Miss. are you okay? What hurts?" I asked her.

She opened her eyes and looked at me. They were the most beautiful eyes I had ever seen. They had the color of the sky. Her look gave me goosebumps. I did not understand it... My heart started pounding in my chest. What was she doing to me? Again I had to refocus my attention to her needs. At least she opened her eyes for me, which was a good sign. Her eyes were filled with water and I could see she was about to cry. She was scared. Who wouldn't be? I wanted to reassure her that she was safe and Rupert and I would do whatever we could to get her whatever she needed.

I had to see what she could do or not do without moving her and without her using the last of her energy.

But first I had to reassure her of her safety. "Miss. You are okay. Stay still. My name is Will Treynor and this is my friend Rupert. We have called 911 and they should be here any moment. So just hang in there with us. You are doing so good". I gave her my best smile to make sure she feels that we genuinely wanted to help her. She just blinked at me and in my heart, I knew she understood me.

I asked her not to speak or move any of her limbs and just use her eyes to give me one blink for "yes" and two blinks for "no". She understood this.

Before I could ask her any more questions about her injuries, I saw blood coming out of her left ear. Oh NO… This was not a good sign. I did not want her to pass out. But her eyes shut closed and she did not respond to any of my questions.

I went into a panic mode. I could not touch her or move her because of her injuries. Rupert had called 911 and asked for a helicopter or an ambulance to come. But, where the hell were they?

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"I need to know what is going on with her"? I asked the young receptionist girl.

"Who are you again? Who are you talking about? And are you her husband or close family" The young girl from the reception had asked me.

I gave her my puppy eyes. The eyes that would swoon girls off of their feet when they looked at me. I knew hospitals were all about protecting their patients and their privacy. Without thinking I said, "I'm her husband". She gave me a confusing look. Again I tried to act worried and to make sure that I looked believable. Rupert gave me a surprised look and started shaking his head. "I need to see my wife and I need to know of her conditions". "What is her name again and why was she admitted?" the girl asked. Again without thinking, I came up with the first thing that popped into my head, "Georgina Treynor. My wife was the one that was airlifted and brought here for emergency surgery. Please let me go see her". I pleaded as best as I could for them to let me in. I just wanted to make sure that she was okay and then get on with my life. Or could I get on with my life? Why did I need to know how she was doing? I had no idea who this person was. As I was contemplating in my thoughts, the receptionist girl called us again. "She is in surgery now. She will be out of surgery in a few hours . We still don't know how long it will be based on her injuries. We will call you whenever she is out. Meanwhile, you can stay in the patient waiting area".

Thank God, that I persuaded the receptionist girl easily like that. In my heart, I knew I needed to stay and figure things out even if it would cost my vacation. But my mind and my heart were in two different places. My mind was persuading me to leave and enjoy my time with Rupert in this country. But how could I let her wake up alone not knowing where she is, without any family or friends around. Was she from here? How would I reach out to her family? Who would I contact?

Rupert had gone and gotten us coffee. That was a great idea. We needed to talk and figure out what would we do for the rest of the day. "What a great start to our vacation, mate!" Rupert had said once we sat down in the patient waiting area. He looked upset or annoyed. I could not figure out what he was thinking. For all I could care he could enjoy the resort or whatever we had planned. I knew that I would not leave here without making sure she had someone to look after her. Why was I being too caring today?

"Will, what is your plan mate? Are you going to stay all day here?" Rupert had said. I did not know what my plan was for tomorrow but for today I needed to stay. "I will stay just to make sure they have taken care of her injuries and that they have informed her family or someone that she knows" I said, not sure how that would play out. I had lied to the receptionist and they thought I was her husband. Never in my 32 years, I wanted to call someone my wife. Sure, I had that thing with Alicia a few year ago but it ended quick and I did not want to be in a relationship let alone be married.

After an hour Rupert had decided to go back to the resort and I would be the one calling him as soon as I had any new information about her situation. I knew Rupert thought I was crazy. I never acted like this not even towards my parents. This was also odd for me. The fact was that I could not forget her eyes. Those beautiful blue eyes and it made my heart jump. What was it about her eyes that made my stomach to have butterflies? I heard stories about people falling in love at first sight but this was rubbish. This was not true. This wasn't me. My thoughts were purely had become ridiculous for the last few hours. I was too exhausted…

Waiting was not my friend. The waiting, I hated. Even at work, people answered me quickly. Anything I wanted I would get it quickly. I had to practice it now! This day had turned out to be a crazy day. I had replayed the events that had occurred today in my head again and again. There were so many questions I had. The more pressing question that I had was how did she fall? Did someone push her or did she slip? I hoped to God that it was the second one because I would not understand who would want to do that to a human being.

It was passed five in the afternoon and I had not heard anything. I did not know if she was out of surgery or let alone dead. I shivered. I could not think of her being dead. Not now. I needed to know if she was going to be okay. Right then I heard voices coming from the receptionist area. Someone was yelling and asking about her. This was odd and weird. Were her family finally here?

I heard them going back and forth. He was arguing with the receptionist. What were they arguing about? As I came closer to see what was going on, I heard him say, "I am her boyfriend. Patrick".

Hope you enjoyed this story. Any thoughts?


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you again for those who wrote a review for the first chapter as well as extending my gratitude to those who are supporting me as a new author. Additionally, I am not a medical professional so please understand that some of the medical information is based on the research I have done to help the story move along. I will also be going back and forth between Lou and Will's POV for this chapter. Enjoy!**

Chapter 2

Lou's POV

Everything hurts. Every single ounce of my body hurts. My arms feel sore. My head aches badly. My eyelids feel heavy. I want to open them but I can't. My throat is dry and feels swollen. I don't have the energy to move at all. I want to go back to sleep again and not face the reality. However, my curiosity has peaked, wanting to know where I am. What happened to me? I go to a panic mode for a second. I don't remember much of what happened but the last thing I remember was that man smiling at me. He had the most beautiful smile and it had warmed my heart when he tried to help me. Who was he? Where did he come from? I heard voices from far. Someone was talking to me or at least trying to help me wake up.

"Miss. Just open your eyes slowly. Everything is okay. Just open them one at a time" I heard someone ask me.

I tried my best to open my eyes. The light hit me and I closed my eyes. The gentle voice was kind enough to put a damp washcloth on my face and I felt refreshed. I opened my eyes for the second time, and I felt scared. Where was I? I saw white sheets and I heard beeping monitors around me. My heart started to pound. The unknown felt uncomfortable. "Everything is okay. You had a fall and you are in the hospital" The gentle voice reassured me again. I looked up and saw an older nurse. She was checking my vitals. "Miss. I am going to call the doctor to check on you, but we do need to know your name and who we can contact for you". I tried my best to answer her. But I could not make a sound. She went and got me water. "Take a small sip", she neared the straw against my lips. I wanted to get up but I realized that half of my body was wrapped in a cast. I felt like a butterfly in a cocoon. I needed to know the extent of my injuries so I raised one of my eyebrows, looking at her. "You were very lucky miss", I rolled my eyes at her. She continued, "You have broken your left leg, your hip is fractured, your ribs are bruised, you have a minor concussion on your left temporal lobe, and you have fractured your left shoulder. Based on your injuries, we have assumed that you landed on your left side when you fell". Tears started coming down my eyes. I cannot take this news. I knew that my recovery was going to be a long one and I could not let my family down. My family who was struggling and relied on me to work. Way to go Lou! Why did I come with Patrick to this trip? I knew this trip wasn't going to be about us. He was going to be with his stupid teammates to do a marathon. "You are very lucky that you are alive" I heard another person walk in. This was supposedly my doctor. His name was Dr. Shah and he immediately examined me to see how I was doing.

"Miss. I am sure that Nurse Joy has filled you in. I am going to explain more about your treatment followed by therapy work that needs to get started once you are out of the hospital, but first, we do need to know your name" Doctor Shah said. I tried my best. But no sound was coming out. He placed his hand gently around my neck and asked me to take it slow. I took another sip of water and tried again. "Louuu…" I managed to croak out. I had no energy to speak again but somehow, I wanted the doctor to find that man that had saved my life. I wanted to thank him but I did not know if he was around. I tried again harder giving my best, "Will..." as I coughed his name out. The doctor looked at me strangely. I hoped to God that he understood me. My head was pounding and I could not take it any longer. I needed to close my eyes but I was stubborn as to find out who this Will person was and if he was around. However, blackness took me once again and I gave in.

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Will's POV

She had a boyfriend? That's all I could think of. Who was he? Why was he so late to come to the hospital? Why did I care that she had a boyfriend? Why am I so surprised? Of course! she has a boyfriend. I am going to leave this place as soon as possible and never look back. Why was I so upset about this information I received? I was about to walk out of the ER, I heard a voice calling my name. "Mr. Treynor?". I turned around and I saw the girl at the reception and this Patrick guy staring at me. She looked at the both of us. "You are her husband" pointing at me and "You are her boyfriend", "Which one of you is lying?" Raising her eyebrows at us. No one said anything. The girl looked furious. "Who the bloody hell are you", Patrick said with a loud voice "What are you doing here? Lou does not have a husband. I am her boyfriend!". I wanted to strangle him. Who the hell am I? I am the one who found her. Where were you at that time? So Lou was her name. Hmm…But knowing the circumstances, I did not want to get into more trouble so I told them that I had found her and I did not have a choice but to lie to make sure she is in good hands. I told them the reason I have not left was to make sure she is okay. Patrick gave me a look that said get the hell out of here. I was ready to walk out again knowing her precious boyfriend was there to look after her, I heard another voice. It was a doctor. "Will?" He looked at me and Patrick. "Will?" I came closer. "She is asking for you".

They took both of us in. I didn't know what and how to react. This was a strange situation. She had asked for me and this was a ray of hope that held me together. She only asked for me and not her so called boyfriend. Patrick was quiet and did not say a word.

She was laying on the bed, her eyes closed. She looked so peaceful. My heart started beating again. What was going on inside me? Why was I feeling this way for a woman that I did not know? The nurse on duty had told us that Lou was resting and that it would not be best to walk in together.

Patrick and I waited for another couple of hours and did not say a word to each other. I had so many questions for him. He needed to report what had happened to the detective on duty so I could get on with my life.

They called us again and we went back. She was awake now. Looking through the glass window at her, it made me feel a bit better. Knowing that she had opened her eyes. I was about to stand up and make my peace with this situation when Patrick passed me and went inside. Lou looked terrified. I saw her monitor beeping loud. He better not hurt her! Patrick went closer, touching her arm to calm down. She looked like she did not want to be with him at all.

The waiting was driving me crazy again. I did not know if I should stay or go. Patrick came out of Lou's room after 10 minutes and looked like he was furious. What did they talk about? My mind was not working anymore. I wanted to make sure that he would not run away without reporting the incident. Out of nowhere, he started talking "Lou and I have been together for some time. This was the vacation that I brought her to introduce her to my teammates. We have a marathon to run in the next couple of days. Lou did not want to come along but I persisted she come and do all sorts of activities with me. We went to the top or at least what I thought it was the top of the mountain. She was as always in her chatty ways talking about different things. I told her to not walk around the edges and suddenly she was gone. She slipped and I could not grab her. It was hard to see where she had fallen. So, I called for help but no one was around. Then I saw a chopper coming down after 10 minutes and I saw the name of the hospital on it from distance". "And now, this stupid girl just broke up with me. Can you believe that? I came all the way here to make sure she is okay and she just tore my heart out. I knew this was a stupid mistake, bringing her here. This is my year! I don't need this right now. I have been working up so hard to get here with my teammates. This is not worth it! I felt bad for her accident but now that we are not together, why should I stay?" Then I saw him contemplate on his thoughts, then he got loud again, "She called your bloody name first! Your name! What the hell is wrong with her?" The nurses had to shush him down.

I had put my hands in my pocket so that I would not punch him in the face. Was he telling me this information so I would feel sorry for him? He wrote a number on a paper and threw it in my face. "This is her family's number. I was going to call them soon, but I am not responsible anymore" Patrick said.

"Hello. This is Detective Marshall. I understand that we had a situation this morning. I will need to talk with the three of you separately. As for the patient, we have to see if she is up for a conversation". "I have talked to the receptionist and I understand that her boyfriend Patrick is here and the guy who saved her?" "I'm not her boyfriend anymore" Patrick let out. Nonetheless, Detective Marshall took Patrick away to a different room and shut the door behind them. I waited another five minutes before checking on Lou. Watching her behind the window, she seemed to have calmed down and I was feeling better about that. The anticipation of seeing her for the first time was building up in my head. I hope she doesn't panic if she sees me. I asked the nurse to see if it's okay for me to go in. She gave me a head nod and I opened the door.

Lou's POV

I was not ready to face Patrick. In my heart, I was done with our relationship long ago. I had always been the chatty one in our relationship but I never was able to express what I wanted and needed. We had been together for such a long time and I assume that's how it worked for couples, the getting used to each other part. Mom and dad had been together for such a long time and to me they had a successful marriage because they stayed together through the tough times and the easy times. But for us it had always been the same except when Patrick had taken his new jogging habit. After a while, it had become the only focus in his life. He was so attached to it that he would mark his calendar to sign up for races. He would stay long hours with his teammates to practice and do more group activities together. And then, this trip came along. In my gut, I had a feeling that I shouldn't have tagged along. I had hoped that when he would come back from the trip, I would take the courage to break up with him. However, I thought we could give it our last shot before throwing away all these years of being together.

He opened the door. "How are you?" Patrick asked. I drank some water and tried to clear my voice. As much as it was hard to talk, I had to get this over with. I gave him a nod. "okay…" I said. Inside of me, a panic was rising. How can I get this over with once and for all? He gave me an uncomfortable look which I did not understand. Before I could say anything, he said "Lou, I'm sorry but I cannot stay here all day. Our marathon is starting in two days and I have been working so hard to get here. I told you not to walk around the edges and you did not listen to me. It's absolutely your own fault". Then he continued, "You seem to be doing well. I will call your family and they can come to take care of you". I could not understand what he was saying. How could he be so heartless? I know I wanted to leave him but hearing him saying the words, leaving me to be by myself, hit me hard. He knew my family did not have a penny to pay for our expenses let alone buy a ticket to come to another country and take care of me? Without any more hesitation, I said: "get out, we are done". And he was gone…

I was trying my best not to cry. But the reality was dawning on me. I didn't know what to do. All my stuff was sitting at Patrick's hotel room, my family had no idea what had happened to me, and I didn't know how long I had to stay in this hospital. As I was contemplating in my misery, I heard the door open. There he was. The man who saved me, standing in front of me. I could not believe it. He was really handsome. Oh God, why did I have to look puffy and miserable at this moment in front of this man? He looked at me with his beautiful eyes. "Thank you", the first thing that came out of my mouth. He gave me a smile and moved closer to me. I became nervous. He looked at the monitors and my surroundings. "How are you feeling?" he asked. My heart started to jump and the embarrassing part was that he could hear it from the monitor that was near him. "Been better" I said sourly. "Thank you again... I don't know how to show you my gratitude for everything that you did for me this morning". "You're welcome". An awkward silence started to form in between us. I could see that he wanted to say more but he stayed quiet. "You look tired Will" I took the courtesy to say his name. "You should go. I must call my family to inform them. I need to figure out how long I will be staying here and what my plans are for the next couple of days" I gave him a half smile as best as I could. I don't know why I was so comfortable to share all this information with him. Will said nothing and stayed quiet. It felt like he was trying to figure things out. I didn't know how to react and what to say anymore.

A man that I didn't recognize walked in. His name was Detective Marshall. He wanted me to recount my accident from this morning, every step of the way. Will left the room giving us privacy. I saw him talking to Nurse Joy and writing some things down. To make it easier, I told Detective Marshall that it was my fault. The whole incident. Honestly, I did not want to do anything with Patrick and I knew it wasn't his fault. So, I reassured detective Marshall that Patrick didn't push me or made me do anything to cause this accident. I was feeling exhausted and tired after Detective Marshall left.

After 15 minutes, Will came back with a paper and a pen in his hands. Before I could say anything, he said "Okay. This is what we are going to do" We? I gave him a confusing look. "I am going to let Nurse Joy call your family first, then, I will talk to your mom and dad to make sure they feel comfortable knowing someone is here with you. They are thinking to keep you here for a whole week and hopefully release you next Monday if not sooner. We need to make sure you are resting, eating, and hydrating enough. They will come to ask you questions about your health insurance and where you live" He continued, so, "What is your full name?" He eyed me warily. "My name is Louisa Clark. I am 26 years old. I live in London with my family. I have no health insurance…" I let out a sigh. He was upset to hear this information. "Will… Thank you so much for all you have done so far. I know you are here for some business probably, or you live here, but please you don't have to feel obligated to me. You have done so much. I can manage it from here on". Part of me did not want to let him go. What was I thinking? I couldn't possibly ask more from him. "Louisa! This may sound strange to you, but I am going to do everything I can to get you back home. I know we barely know each other, but how can I leave you to be by yourself in this condition?" I gave him a nod and a smile. We looked at each other for a few seconds… we didn't need words to understand each other…

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Will POV

I left her room to take care of some of my things and I promised I would call her parents to inform them. My mind was still numb from the events of this morning. I knew I didn't want to leave her alone after what her had done to her. He just decided to leave her there. Can you believe that? I didn't. Even when I was a horrible arse to Alicia, I would have had the decency not to leave her by herself in a hospital if anything had happened to her. I wanted to show Lou and or maybe prove to her that there were nicer guys in this world. Not to say I was an angel or I hadn't made mistakes, but there was part of me that wanted to do better and change for the better good. By the time I got to my hotel room, it was half past eight at night. I was starving and exhausted. I wanted to order food and talk to Rupert to figure out what our plans would look like for tomorrow. It was then when I heard giggling and laughter coming from Rupert's room. We had gotten a presidential suit to make everything easier and we were waiting for our friends to join us. David and Andrew would have a blast sharing a whole suit with Rupert and me. We would go and do crazy stuff. Like a bunch of teenage kids. We wanted to relive our Uni days. We had so much fun those days. As I approached his room closer, I heard a familiar voice. I couldn't believe it. This day didn't have to get any better than it was… It was her. It was Alicia.

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 **Ooooo Alicia has come back! What do you think will happen between them? Write me your thoughts. I am also open to new ideas and any suggestions for this story. Unfortunately, next chapter may come in July (don't know the date yet, don't hate me please). These next few weeks, I am extremely busy with work, serving the community, and moving to a new house. Please forgive me** **?** **Have a fantastic week!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello, everyone! I haven't had that much time to write for the last few weeks. I apologize. This chapter is very short but I promise you that I will make the next one longer. Thank you** **?**

Chapter 3

Lou POV

 _I am in a big castle. The interior and the exterior walls are filled with white marbles. It's breathtakingly a gorgeous piece of architecture I had ever seen in my entire life. I felt like I was a princess in a white castle waiting for my prince charming to come and kiss me. How cliché…The sunlight shines through the marble stones of this castle. I feel the warmth on my skin. It touches every ounce of my body and it feels amazing. I look around this place. It's a feeling of familiarity. I hear voices from distance. I hear laughter. I hear a child's voice reaching closer to me. He touches my hands. Mommy, mommy, let's go. I am in awe of how he looks. He is a beautiful and a handsome boy. His eyes are as bright as the sky. I know he is my son. I go running after him in this beautiful castle. I am running after my boy and_ … My eyes are open. What was that dream about? It felt so real. My mind couldn't comprehend it… I sigh, the dream was probably the result of the drugs they have given me.

I hear the beeping monitor next to me. Oh, reality hits me again. I feel groggy and I realize that I was just dreaming. I look at the clock and it's four in the morning. I want to go back to my beautiful dream. Why did it feel so real? I contemplate on it, every sensation I felt in this dream. My life had always been somewhat dull. I was a simple plain girl who lived with her parents and had to take care of them financially. I never traveled the world or explored possibilities around me. Truthfully, I was comfortable and satisfied. I never asked for more or wanted anything from life. I would go to work every day at the café back home, watch TV, take care of grandad at times, and hang out with Patrick. We moved to London about a few weeks ago because of Treena. She wanted to go back to Uni. And for me, I didn't have a lot of options open for me. I had to search for jobs for weeks on. And yet, there was nothing available. Now, my world had become upside down. In the span of one day, I had injured myself and broke things off with Patrick. I didn't want to be emotional about the breakup but honestly, it was hard. He didn't deserve any of my tears but I still felt alone. Even when he was still being an awful arse, I would have preferred someone to be with me even if it meant Patrick staying with me. Ugh…

Mr. Traynor, 'Will', had to be an angel. He was an angel, period. He appeared from nowhere and now he was taking care of me. How could I repay his generosity and kindness? I should call mom as soon as I can and ask her to invite him for dinner when everything is settled. It would be the least that I could do for him. I didn't even know where he was from or what he did. From his clothes and the style of his hair, I assumed that he must come from good money. Well, what did I know about people with good money? I usually judged them and didn't pay too much attention to their lifestyle. The clock was ticking slowly and I was trying to force myself to go back to sleep but I had so much pain. I pushed a button, and the overnight nurse came in. "I need more pain killers. Please." I looked at him with my puppy eyes. "Ms. Clark, I was advised to give you a small dose and you are going to have to wait for Dr. Shah tomorrow". _Bloody stupid nurse. He doesn't understand it._ I mumble to myself, trying not to think about my pain. I was dosing off to sleep finally. The last thought that appeared in my head was, _'how the bloody hell will I get home?'_

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Will POV

So, Alicia was here! Hmm. How wonderful and interesting! I don't think they heard me open and shut the door. I had to get this over with, so I shouted, "Hello!". The room went quiet. I heard them struggling to get their clothes on. "Oh crap", I heard Rupert say. What did he think of me? Did he think I was not coming to stay here tonight? How stupid of him to think that! I folded my arms as I stood next to the couch. I saw Alicia come out first, then 'his majesty', Rupert. I saw Alicia's smug face. Was she proud of what they were doing? Why did I care? She wasn't with me anymore. She could have slept with anyone that she wanted. But Rupert, how dare he do this to me? He was supposedly my best friend. We had worked together for years. He had supported me through everything. He helped me start my company. I did not understand. At least he owed me an explanation. No one said anything. "Explain yourselves" I demanded. "Will, don't be judgmental baby doll. We aren't together. I am with Rupert now and we are enjoying ourselves". I hated when she called me baby doll. _Ugh._ She continued, "Plus it wasn't like you were an angel. You were never around, and since you started your own company, you got busier. I wasn't going to sit and wait for you every night. All those parties and events. Rupert told me how you looked at other women and chasing the assistants around! So how dare you judge me!" I could not believe Rupert. Again, what kind of a best friend was he? Plus, I never actually cheated on Alicia. We boys had our fun chasing the girls but I never fully intended to be physical with any of them. "How big of him! Get lost, both of you" I turned to Rupert, "And you" I pointed at him, "Don't come back to the company", "We are done". "You have an hour, you can get your bloody stuff and leave". What did she think of me? I didn't care that she was dating. But my best friend? Of course, she didn't get it, neither did Rupert. So, I left the room.

This entire day had become a nightmare. First that girl's accident, now Rupert and Alicia's wonderful shagging. What else was ahead of me? What else would I look forward to? This whole vacation sucks! I decide to ditch the bar and go for a walk to clear my mind. I was so angry. I didn't understand their actions. I walked for an hour, and I still felt dumbfounded. I decided to call Louisa Clark's family finally to get some things off of my mind.

"Hello?" Someone from the other line said. "Hello. My name is William Traynor. I am calling from New York. So please don't hang up on me. Am I talking to Louisa Clark's mom or dad?" "Oh. This is her sister Treena. Is everything okay? Who are you? What has happened to my sister?" She raised her voice. "Hello, Treena. Everything is fine. There was an accident this morning. She is in the hospital now". I heard her gasp. I wanted to reassure her that her sister was safe and I would look after Louisa while she was by herself. "Don't panic, please. She is being taken care of. She has some injuries but with some therapy and hard work, she can be back to normal in the next few months". "Ms. Clark asked me to call you and to let you know of her situation". "Where is her boyfriend, Patrick?". I explained to her the events of this morning. I felt like she was not convinced that I could take care of her sister. I heard another voice talking to me over the phone. "Hello, sir. My name is Josie. I am Lou's mom. Thank you so much for taking care of my daughter. How is she doing? What is the plan? Can she fly back as soon as possible?". Her voice was much kinder than Lou's sister. "She is in the hospital now resting. The doctors said they will discharge her in a week depending on how she is doing. But I believe she needs to do therapy as soon as possible and she needs to do a follow up with a good doctor when she is back". I could hear her family's conversation on the phone. Someone was asking ' _What are we going to do'_ , I heard another person was crying. "Mrs. Clark", I said. "I will make sure that your daughter is taken care of. I know I am a stranger to your family, but I will not leave her by herself. I will promise you that. Now, can I talk with Treena please?" I heard a man's voice, assuming it was Mr. Clark and he said, "God bless you. Thank you so much". I held the phone and for the first time today, I smiled.

Treena and I discussed what would be the best option for Louisa in order to leave New York. The first option was for her to stay in the hospital until she was discharged and go back by herself. I didn't like that at all. The second option was for Treena to come and stay here until they go back home with together. I think both of us liked the second option much better. I knew Treena was worried about how she would get herself to New York. I offered to pay for her flight but she would not accept it. I reassured her that once they got everything figured out they can think of some way to repay for the tickets. But in my heart, I knew I would never want anything from them. Buying plane tickets was not a big expense for me. I traveled a lot so I could use my points. I was going to spend money for my vacation but now I could use it for a better cause.

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Will saw Louisa become emotional when she talked to her family for the first time. She had started crying. He knew how overwhelming the situation had become for her. He remembered when his sister got into a car accident when she was 16 years old. She was a trouble maker when she was younger. Georgina had gone missing for a few hours and then the call came. They were all worried for her. Once they got to the hospital, they learned that she had gone to a party, had gotten drunk, and she had gotten into an accident. Thankfully, she didn't harm another soul but she had hit a tree. Will had promised his mom to look after his sister at that time and to make sure she was not getting into more trouble.

Will had explained to Louisa what the plans would look like for the next few days. Will had to take care of some things and figure out how Louisa's move was going to look like. Treena was going to arrive in the next 12 hours and to be with her. This was relieving for Louisa. She felt so much better knowing her sister was going to come and be there for her. Then there was Will. How could she possibly thank him? He had done so much for her. She couldn't look at him, struggling to find words, to thank him somehow. She looked at him suddenly and when she met his eyes, her cheeks blushed. How could she look at a face of an angel? Her angel who saved her life. His eyes were mesmerizing, deep in thought. No words were exchanged yet between them. He felt that tingling feeling in his stomach again. She was so beautiful even when she was in pain. She knew she would need to do something personal for him when she got back home. She didn't know where he lived or what he did for a living. She also noticed that Will looked tired and there was something else. She could not figure out what was going on with him. Was he tired because of lack of sleep, or was it something else? As she was about to open her mouth to say something, she saw Will standing up suddenly. What was going on? He looked at his phone then he looked at Lou one last time, and left the room.

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After 30 minutes, a nurse came in. Lou was so nervous and she did not know what was going on. The nurse handed her a note and an envelope. Lou's eyes watered and she looked at the note.

 _My dad had a heart attack. I need to leave now._

 _I am sorry that you have to wait by yourself until Treena comes tonight._

 _It was a pleasure meeting you. Until next time…_

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Lou's POV

William Traynor had left me speechless. I could not contemplate on what had just happened. He left me to myself. I didn't want us to part easily. But he had to go. I hoped that everything was okay. That nothing bad had happened to his dad. Nonetheless, when he left, it stung. I didn't think we would part so soon. I wanted to rewind the time we had together and talk to him more. But he was gone. I had to get a grip of myself. He was a man who saved my life and that was it. I couldn't become too involved or get emotionally attached after knowing him for the last 48 hours. The only thing that held me together was knowing my sister would be here soon.

 **P.S. I left a short line from the show** ** _Friends_** **, let me know if you can guess it! Have a fantastic week.**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Lou's POV

It had been 8 weeks since my accident had happened. I had heard no news from William Traynor. No calls, nothing. I thought by this time, I would forget about him. I wouldn't let my heart ache over him. But nooooooooo, my heart was hopeful that we would meet someday; only God knew when.

 _Flashback_

 _When Treena came to be with me in New York, I could not hold it back. I cried and cried. It felt good to cry and let it all out. It was good to have her and I was comfortable around her. I told her what had happened to me and with Patrick and with Will. She just couldn't believe my dumb luck, to meet someone that rich, handsome, and so caring._

 _Treena would tease me at times about how I would marry a rich man some day and live a fairytale life. I knew she was doing that only so that I would not focus on the sad things of our lives. The stress and the pressure of our financial problems._

 _"We are going to be fine, Lou. Don't worry about it." She smiled at me._

 _"Well, I hope we will. I don't know where to find work when we get back." I looked at her raising my eyebrow._

 _"You need to think about your healing first. Everything will come together and we will figure something out. I can find a temporary job and postpone Uni for another six months until you are up on your feet and can help mom and dad". She said smiling. I still wasn't convinced._

 _"What about all these medical bills that I have to take care of once I get discharged?" I asked her. "What about flying home?". I started hyperventilating thinking about all these medical bills._

 _"Stop Lou! We can't afford getting overwhelmed by all these things. We got to put our heads together to figure these things out" She rubbed her forehead. Suddenly I remembered that Will had left an envelope for me along with a note. I did not dare to open that envelope. I asked Treena to open it._

 _"Oh, he is got you so good sis!" She chuckled. As Treena was opening the envelope my heart started beating faster. This was so strange._

 _"Hmm. He left us a note. Oh wow, look an airplane ticket confirmation number, and a couple of hotel cards. How fancy!", She said. "Read it to me", I asked her._

 _Dear Louisa and Treena Clark,_

 _I am writing this letter in a hurry as I need to get back to London as soon as possible. I am sorry that I will not be with you both and I won't be able to spend much longer here. Life throws you in situations that are incomprehensible. I have left you my hotel keys if Treena needs to stay overnight. Louisa, I hope that you will get better soon. It was a pleasure meeting you indeed…_

 _I also wanted to let you know that your medical bills have been taken care of and your tickets back home. In addition, I have left my best friend, Nathan, a voicemail letting him know of your situation. He is the best in his work. He is a physical therapist. Please don't hesitate to call him and make an appointment with him. Again, I have taken care of that as well._

 _William Traynor_

 _Both Treena and I were quiet for a few minutes. I could not believe someone that generous existed. How could someone without knowing another person cared for them that much? It was weird because when I met him, he didn't seem to be a type of person who would do that. How wrong was I? How judgmental was I towards him? Treena and I looked at each other still processing everything._

 _End of Flashback_

It felt good to be home with my family. I had missed them so much. Mom and dad had been so welcoming since we got back. They wanted to make sure that I had the best care and that everyone in the house put my needs first. I was living like a princess. It was so generous of them. I still felt so bad and wanted to do something for the family, but they kept telling me that everything would be okay. I just needed to think about getting better.

One night as I was getting ready to go to bed I heard my parents talking.

"Josie, love. I don't know where else to look for work", dad said whispering.

"It will be fine Bernard. You are too worried. Treena is going to work six days a week. I think we can make it for this month. And what if we don't? We can cut back on some things or sell some of our stuff. Or we can pack up and go back home. I miss our home", mom sighed. I didn't realize things were that bad. I limped back to my room and started crying. How stupid was I to think that everything was fine? I thought that my family was honest with me and that they didn't need my help so soon.

That night I could not sleep. My mind wandered through every possibility of what and how I could help my family. I could not walk that well yet but I could try to find a job for cleaning things standing up, or maybe babysitting without the child running around. That would be impossible. Unless the family had an infant baby. But again, I was not strong enough to lift a baby. What if I made baskets or painted someone's nails? Oh God, what would I do? I put my non-broken hand on my face and wept until the sun came out.

My routine now consisted of seeing Nathan twice a week. When I got back home from New York, Nathan had ordered me to see him three to four times a week. The only reason I agreed to go was that Mr. Traynor (William) had instructed me to go so I could get back on my feet. Thank God for him. Thankfully, I was healing fast so I did not have to go see Nathan that often anymore. He was very impressed with me healing this fast. But I still had a few milestones ahead of me. Now I had to use a cane to get around but it was fine. It wasn't that bad. I was hoping that I would be able to walk independently by the next couple of months, even sooner.

I was lost in my own thoughts as we were approaching Nathan's clinic. I had wanted to ask for Will's number so many times, but I did not have the courage to do so. "Top of the morning, Louisa. What's the matter?" Nathan asked.

"Not much". I shrugged my shoulders. I think he saw in my eyes that there was something up. We usually did our routine of working on few exercises and at times we talked about how things were going in our lives. Today, I did not have the courage to speak or even look at Nathan. I was so exhausted by my thoughts and sleep deprivation that I wasn't even paying attention to what I was doing.

"Slow down Louisa! You're going to hurt yourself", he said loudly. "Let's go to my office. Right now!". This came more like an order. I looked down and tried not to take it personally. I knew Nathan was going to interrogate me.

"Louisa", Nathan said calmly. I looked up at him. He seemed calmer now. "I have noticed that you haven't taken these exercises as serious as when you started coming here. And today, frankly, you look terrible. One of the things that you need to let me know is if there are other things in your personal life that are an obstacle to your recovery. I did not want to bring this up at all, but I know that my friend Will has paid for your appointments, so you should not worry about that at all. So, what is going on with you?"

I sighed. It was so hard for me to talk about our problems to other people. I had never done this before, not even with Patrick. I thought of Nathan as a big brother and I knew he would at least be able to calm me down.

"Where should I start", I sighed. "Look Nathan. This is really uncomfortable for me to talk about and I really don't know how to start". "My family… we don't have a lot of money. We are not rich. We barely can afford things…", I was whispering at this point. "It has been really hard for my dad to find a job. My sister is doing her best working six days a week. And as you can see, I am pretty much useless at this point. I don't know what to do. Right now, we are in a very hard situation…". "I am really grateful for your friend, Mr. Traynor to help us out. Thank God for him. Otherwise, I would not be where I am today. He was an angel sent by God", I said shyly. There was silence. I knew Nathan was thinking hard. I didn't know if he understood our situation. I didn't know if he ever endured difficulties in his life. But now that everything was out there, I was not too scared anymore.

I looked at Nathan again. He started writing something on his notepad. This was strange. He handed the note to me. "What is this?" I asked. "Look, Louisa, I understand that this must be really hard for you to share with me about your financial situation. There is a party coming up on Saturday. This is the address. I will put a word with the caterer for you. You can pass out foods. Can't you? I will let them know about your physical situation. Don't be too hard on your leg. The money is good and you don't have to work that much. Be there by 5 pm. Only thing, don't be late!". I was shocked. I opened my mouth to say something but couldn't.

"Nathan, Thank you". He smiled at me.

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It was Saturday morning and I didn't know what I needed to wear. I had already forgotten to ask Nathan about my attire. I didn't know if this party was formal or casual. I didn't know if I needed to go shopping.

"Louisa, love. If it's a catering job, then just wear a jean and a T-shirt. You don't need to go all fancy serving food" mom said. I still wasn't sure. I was so nervous. I had never done this before.

"What's the worst thing that could happen tonight?" Treena said. "You could either make a fool of yourself or make some big bucks for all of us! My dear sister, I will bet on the first one" she stuck her tongue at me. I slapped her shoulder and said, "Oh if I only could have one wish, what would I wish? Hmm.. a difficult choice that is. To have a sister or have a million bucks". Dad came in and joined the party. "Are you turning out to be Yoda?" my dad asked. Everyone laughed. Despite our difficult situation, I would never ever have wanted to change my family or to be born in a different family. I loved my family so much. I knew everyone had their problems and I knew that everyone in this world had to go through different sufferings.

When I typed in the address on the Google maps, I realized that this place is where I grew up. My face lighted up. "Mom, dad, this is right next to the castle back home". Everyone was so happy and even cheered me more.

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I arrived at the destination at 4:15 pm. I wanted to be as early as possible. I had never in million years would have thought that this party would be in my hometown. Who could have guessed? As much as my family wanted to come with me, we couldn't afford three train tickets and staying at a hotel all together. So, I went by myself.

The plan was for me to stay Saturday night and leave for home on Sunday afternoon. I promised my parents that I would go say hi to our old neighbors.

Passing around this town in a taxi brought old memories back, happy memories. Right then I promised myself that I would make something of myself and I would bring my family back here one day.

The taxi approached a house. Well, a big house. I would have never dreamed of walking around a house like that let alone work in it. Multiple families with their children could live here. I smiled thinking about that.

There was a bellman in front of me, looking strangely at me. I knew I wouldn't have fit here but I still was a human being. I deserved to be treated nicely. "Pardon me. Where are the catering staff?" I asked him, holding my head high. He just pointed to a door towards the back of the house. I slowly walked and tried to observe everything as much as I could. I stood there and gulped. Wow… So beautiful. Someone must be getting married tonight, I thought. There were lights on every side of this house. There were expensive bouquets of flowers on every corner. The smell of lavender and roses were filled in the air. The trees and the gardens were beautifully decorated. Everything was heart-warmingly touching. I wondered who decorated the place.

"Are you going to just stand there, or are you coming to help?" someone had said. I looked up suddenly at a lady holding an apron for me. I apologized and went inside quickly. Everyone was working and running around. There was the head of catering who brought everyone together and gave each person a schedule of what was happening. Thankfully, Nathan had put in a good word for me and I wasn't given the dishwashing or the liquor job. I simply had to stand in between the crowd and offer them appetizers. I just hoped that I would not screw this up.

The night began slowly as the guests arrived one by one. Some looked fancy and some were wearing casual outfits. Even those who were wearing casual outfits had to be wearing Gucci or Prada. The atmosphere was filled with the most expensive perfume smell. Their conversations felt so bizarre and too superficial for my taste. Someone talked about their vacation in Bali and the other complained about their mileage points. Others were getting drunk. I stood at one place and offered cheese and crackers and occasionally I would move a little to not put too much pressure on my foot. I tried to give my best smile and pretend that I was good at my job.

I was lost in my thoughts again. If I ever became rich, would I go this far to pretend that I was somebody? Would I change everything about myself and wear expensive clothes? Would I try to take vacations every few months?

"What do you got there young lady?" an old gentleman asked me. I smiled at him, "I have gouda, creamy brie, manchego, and cheddar with a hint of smoke". "Ahhh, I don't know which one I want to pick. To be honest I love all kinds of cheeses. What do you recommend?". This was a strange man I thought. "Hmm.. for a starter, I would try the creamy brie, then I would add gouda on top, and finally eat the cheddar cheese. I wouldn't mind throwing a couple of salty olives in there. Don't forget to close your eyes when you try this. You want to give your taste buds the best experience of their life time ever". The man laughed out loud. I realized that I had said too much. Why didn't I just say the names of these cheeses and let him try it one at a time? I hoped I was not in trouble.

"I will remember that! Thanks for your amusement. I like her already" he mumbled walking away. Leaving me even more confused to myself.

This party was tiring me out already. It was about 9:30 pm and I was ready to leave. I still could not guess who was hosting this party. Some people had already left and a new and younger group of people had joined the party.

As I was ready to go back in, I saw a group of blonde girls walk past me and giving me a dirty look. What the hell was wrong with them? I didn't do anything to deserve it.

Trying to not think about those girls too much, I started to walk towards the kitchen when I saw him. He was standing in the crowd, so handsome. It was like God himself sent an angel and dropped him there. I was trying to keep an eye on him from my distance and see what was going on. He picked up the microphone and congratulated someone or something, then everybody clapped.

Well, at least I finally saw him. Why did my heart have to start beating again? He left me that day without a goodbye and I promised myself I would not get emotional. I needed this money for my family. So, I started to concentrate on my work. For the next hour, I focused on handing out more deserts and along the way, some very generous men had given me nice tips. Some even had eyeing me, and I wasn't sure why. It was probably because again I was a commoner among these people. I would never fit with them. I was so tired and I could not hold out anymore so I decided to end my shift early.

"Here you go, Louisa. The father of the host told me to double the money I was originally going to give you" the catering lady told me. I had already forgotten her name. "Why?" I asked. "I don't know why. But he mentioned that you had amused him somehow". I was shocked. He was the father of the host. Wow… Go Louisaaa! "Well, thank you for letting me help out tonight," I said. "Here is my card, let me know if you want to work with us", she said. "That is fantastic. I will consider it and I will call you in a few days to sort things out. Thank you so much" I said giving her a hug. She smiled at me and left me there.

I was really tired and had no energy to stay there any longer. I was really excited about the news of finding a new job here but I didn't know if I would have to move here or commute back and forth. This was great because at least there was an opportunity for me to start working again.

I would need to get Nathan some flowers and a thank you card for helping me out.

As I was trying to find my way out, I got lost. I think I landed in their third garden. Oh, brother! There were some people singing and drinking still. Some people were kissing each other. This was turning out to be so weird. I limped my way to the nearing exit door so as I thought. I heard a familiar voice near me.

"Is this who I think it is?" someone said. "Louisa Clark," he said. Every single hair on my body stood up hearing him say my name. I turned around and it was him, William Traynor. He was wearing a white buttoned up shirt with jeans and a blazer. Oh, how handsome he was…No words could describe this gorgeous man. It had been so long since I heard his voice.

"Hello, William Traynor. How do you do?" I said politely. As he was about to say something, someone nearly tripped over him. A beautiful blonde hair with the most beautiful eyes appeared out of nowhere with her friends. He held her tight so that she wouldn't fall. She might have been drunk. I don't know what was going on. She didn't even notice me standing there.

"Hello, my darling," she said. "Oh, how I missed you" she gave him a kiss on his lips and squeezed his cheeks. The girls started laughing and chanting Will's name. This was so awkward. Without even looking up at them, I started running away from them. I couldn't look at them. I wanted to talk to him, to thank him, but why did he have to show off his girlfriend in front of me? I was a nobody and I needed to get the hell out of that situation.

"Louisa. Louisa!" I heard my name multiple times. I was already embarrassed so I kept going straight forward and didn't even look behind me.

When my feet couldn't carry me anymore, I stopped. It had been at least ten minutes looking at my watch. I was panting and couldn't go any further. I needed to rest, I needed to sit down. I had put too much stress on my legs and I felt the pain shooting up and down my body. As I was trying to figure out where I was, I noticed my surroundings. It was dark and it was getting cold.

Oh no. This couldn't be true. I was lost in the same place like a few years ago. How stupid was I to be here again alone? This time not drunk. Thank God, I was sober tonight.

I was in the maze again…

I needed to focus and I needed to put all my energy on walking, but I couldn't move. Not even a little bit.

My throat had closed up on me. It was as if my voice was taken away by Ursula, the sea witch from The Little Mermaid.

I heard noises around me. I felt like someone was watching me. This couldn't happen again. Not my luck. I tried my best to shout for help but nothing came out. I tried again. I wanted to call his name to scare off whatever was coming at me.

"Will. William Traynor. Come out please". I shouted. "William Traynor I know you are here". I heard noises around and something or someone was getting closer to me. I would fight this person, I would not let this happen again to me.

No, I wouldn't be able to survive it again if it happened. I shook my head, trying to push away my negative thoughts.

I found a large rock and made myself ready to throw it at whatever was coming at me.

"Louisa…" I heard him say. "Louisa, I am here. It's me". He came closer to me.

I let go of the rock. My legs gave out and I fell into his arms crying.


	5. Chapter 5

We will have Will's POV for the next two chapters. We will go back to where he left Lou in the hospital, then come back to the current story time. This chapter may be a little dull but we will see a little glimpse of his life back home. Thanks for those who have left reviews and have started following this story. Enjoy! ?

In addition, I would like to apologize for the long delay. First of all, it was really hard to finish this chapter. I had a hard time coming up with a plot for the Traynor's family in general. And secondly, it has been a busy summer and as you all experience that life gets busy. Anyway, thank you for being patient. Please let me know if you would like me to continue with this story because again it will take me awhile to upload the next few chapters.

Chapter 5

 _Flashback_

 _"Hello? Hello…? Who is this? I can't hear you that well," I said. Whoever was on the other line sounded strange. "Will? This is Georgina. Hello? Are you there?" she asked. Oh great! What did she want now? "Will, please don't hang up. This is urgent. Dad had a heart attack…" she trailed off and got quiet. "What? What did you say? Are you being serious?" I couldn't believe her. "I said, dad had a heart attack. Are you deaf?" she sounded angry at me now. "What is going on?" I stood up pulling my hair. "You need to come back home as soon as possible. The doctors don't know if he has any more time left… please". I knew she sounded sincere, begging me to come home. Whenever she called me, she always was in financial trouble. I told my parents I would not support her anymore until she had a stable job. "Will, you need to leave now. Stop whatever you are doing and come back home. We need you here. I am serious. You don't want to regret this," she did sound serious. Then she hung up. I knew I had to leave. I had to leave now. I had no choice. He was my father and I had to go before he was gone… I didn't want to leave Louisa Clark to herself but I had no choice. The good news was that her sister was coming so she wouldn't be alone for that long. I had a plan in my mind. I had already paid for my hotel room and it wasn't a big deal to me to lose the money. I could get the hotel management to get me two new cards while I packed my stuff and had them prepare it for Lou's sister. I had already gotten them a flight back home so that was taken care of. The last thing I needed to do was to make sure that Nathan was on board. I called him quickly and left him a message. I put everything in an envelope and gave it to a nurse. Honestly, I couldn't lose any more time that I already had with getting everything together and with packing. I wrote my apologetic note. I wanted to say goodbye in person but I needed to leave…_

 _End of Flashback_

I woke up suddenly. Ahhhh, another dream. In my dream, I was leaving the hospital room and her poppy eyes would not leave me. I had not properly parted from her. In reality, I didn't say goodbye. I didn't reassure her that someone was coming. I left her alone. This was strange. Me, Will Traynor, the CEO of my own company, had to be attached to what happened a few weeks ago. I could be with whomever I wanted but why would she pop into my dreams? What was so different about her? We just met in an accident. Why wouldn't she leave me in my dreams? Why?... It had been the second time that week that I dreamt about her.

I would go on the internet and search every website to figure out what was going on with me. Some websites suggested that it was stress. Others suggested to go see a shrink. How funny!

It had been two months since I met Louisa Clark. When I came home, my father was in a critical condition. We were all worried for him, but miraculously he pulled it through. Every day, he had to follow a strict diet and do specific exercises. He wasn't allowed to go back to work which was good. It was good for my parents to spend some time together. At times, I felt their marriage was in trouble. My parents had been together for over twenty years. They were times where they showered each other with material things. And other times they would not speak to each other. In recent years, they had become very casual and somewhat cold to each other. I could not understand their relationship. I thought when two people loved each other and stayed together for a long time, they would show more kindness, respect, and compassion for one another. I was no expert on relationships, what did I know? I had always chased after girls and played with their hearts. When I started my own company, I wanted to be taken seriously in the business world. But my fear was that girls wanted to use me for my money. But who was I kidding? I would still chase women at parties and wedding, even when we would go to bars until I became bored with them. No one ever stood out to me. Maybe my expectations were too high or maybe they were just all the same. When I was with Alicia we would get into many fights. She would flirt with other guys at parties and I would do the same.

I wouldn't be lying if I said I hadn't thought about Louisa Clark. A very simple girl. Her eyes beautiful, the color of the sky. The most distinctive feature of her. Hmm… I remember. I would never forget the look she gave me before I had to take that phone call. That was the last time I saw her. I wondered how she was doing in the last few weeks. I had been so busy at work that I had no time calling Nathan. Running my business and going to the hospital to check on my dad, had taken the majority of my time. I only had time to go home, eat, shower, and sleep. That was my routine every day. We had so much work in our office. I needed to update our website, I needed someone to redecorate the place, and I needed to get another assistant since my father was not around anymore.

Georgina had been eating my ears off. She had been coming to my office every day and begging me to let her redecorate the whole place. In my gut, I didn't trust her. I would usually brush it off and would give her other projects to keep her busy.

"Why won't you let me decorate this place? It's hideous and depressing. I don't know how you have clients coming to your office!", she said. "Don't you have better things to do than just complain about my office space?" I said, not looking at her.

"Guess what? Mom just messaged me. Dad will be released in a couple of days," she said smiling. This was a great news! Finally, we didn't have to go back and forth to the hospital. My parents had multiple properties in London and outside of London. We were all staying together at this stressful time. "I want to arrange a party. Our lives have been crazy. We need to throw a party for dad's health."

"Not right now Georgina. First of all, he was just released from the hospital and secondly, I don't have time for your bloody stupid parties. You need to leave. I have a lot of work to do," I told her in a serious manner. She shook her head and picked her stuff up and left my office. Thank God, she was gone. Now I could breathe.

I went back to my apartment to find solace. I needed to be by myself for a few hours before returning to see my family. I was exhausted physically, mentally, and emotionally. Without thinking, I texted my friend Jack.

"Hey, you up? Wanna go for a quick hiking trip next weekend?"

"Hey! Long time no see man! Where have you been? You've been missing all the parties. All the hot girls who could eventually become your baby mama". I rolled my eyes at him.

"You wanna go?"

"Sure. Text me the details. I can get a couple of pals going too. See you next weekend!"

I put my phone away. I was in no mood to hook up with anyone at this time in my life. Honestly, after the incident with Alicia and Rupert, I had lost interest in the people we hung out with. I had lost interest in parties too.

I got another text message. I opened it up and it was from my mother.

"William. Your father is home and resting. Will you be joining us for dinner?"

"No mother. Enjoy dinner without me. I will see you in a couple of hours. Glad father is doing better." I shut my phone and lay on the bed. I looked up at my fan and dozed off.

I opened my eyes to my mobile and saw multiple text messages and missed calls. Some from my mother and some from Georgina. For God's sake, I am a 32 years old man. I am not a child that they worry about.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Hey man. Long time no see! What have you been up to? Where is Rupert? I haven't seen him for a long time too. I heard you and Alicia are back together?" Jack said. I looked at him warily. Me and Alicia? That was the funniest thing anyone had ever said. Maybe he is asking to see if he can date her. "First of all, Alicia and I are not back together. Second of all, I thought we were here to enjoy nature not start a gossip magazine", I sighed.

"Hey, easy! I didn't mean to pry mate. Just wanted to see how things are going in your life. Well, then. I'm guessing everything is fine then".

The rest of the hike I didn't say anything. Maybe it was not a good idea to bring another friend to hike. I wanted today to be calm and peace but I don't know why I was being so sensitive.

I had not heard from Rupert since I fired him. I didn't have any reason for it. A part of me missed our friendship. I just needed to adjust.

XXXXXXXXXX

 _Ding, Ding. Ding, Ding._ What is that? It was my phone. It was from Georgina. What now? What does she want? I opened the message and it said:

Best Party of Your Life

Dress Fabulous

Bring a Plus One!

See you all soon

Dinner 5 PM

Note: I will send you an invitation via your email with address included

Love, Georgina.

What the bloody hell is she doing? Dad just got out of the hospital and needs to rest at home. This is not the time to party and put more pressure on the family. I rolled my eyes at the invitation. She sounds just like a teenager. Why does she want people to dress fabulously if her invitation is not that formal?

"Georgina. What the bloody hell did I just receive? What do you think you are doing?" I was pissed off.

"Calm down, Will", she sounded sweet. Was she trying to play me? "Explain yourself," I demanded.

"Well, I know that we all have been pretty stressed out lately. Why not throw a big party? You don't have to worry about a thing. Mum and I got everything under control. You just need to show up with whomever you want," she concluded. "Whatever!" I hung up the phone. I never understood my sister and her plans. Of course, she got mum under her spell to do whatever she wished to do. I sighed again. I cannot get a break…

XXXXXXXXXX

It's Saturday, 4:30 in the afternoon and I am laying on my bed staring at the ceiling. I do not want to be here. I have missed so many of my mum's and my sister's calls already. The only thing I check is my dad's message. It was very simple and short. _Please Save Me_. I laughed loudly. I totally understood where he was coming from. The party was not held in London, it was in our hometown. My parents had moved back to Pembroke to get away from all the noise of the big city. In my opinion, it was a pretty dull town with many historic sights. I would have never thought I would be back again.

I always liked big cities and adventures. I loved challenging myself and proving to others that I would be the best at everything.

The party had begun promptly at 5 pm. I saw people in their best attire. Mum and Georgina had outdone themselves once again. Since I was little I remember my family planning parties and functions to raise money for charities. Since they had gotten older, they had no energy to do these things anymore. Today, everything looked amazing. The gardens were properly treated. Mum had ordered food from our favorite catering company.

As I was walking around outside, something caught my eyes. I think I saw her. Was that Louisa Clark? Was I hallucinating? What in the world was she doing here? How did she get invited? I was eyeing her from the far distant. I was trying to think of the best way to approach her. I really didn't know what to do. Was she serving something? Was she one of the waiters? Suddenly, everything clicked. Nathan must have invited her.

She looked amazing even in whatever she was wearing. She also had a cane near her. I was assuming that she was seeing Nathan still and hopefully, therapy was going well.

"Hey man. What are you up to?" my friend Jack asked. "Here is 75 pounds. Can you tip that waitress for me? Remember, be discreet and don't mention my name" I ordered him. My friend looked at me in a confused way. "Just go please," I pleaded. "I don't bloody know what is going on, but you better tell me the story when I get back," he said in a snarky way.

I watched as my friend Jack went to Louisa. She gave him her best smile and looked surprised to be receiving a generous tip from him. She said something to him and tried to hand him some of the money but he didn't accept it. I smiled.

"William Traynor, who is that girl? She is not used to getting tips. She was trying to give some of the money back to me. How ridiculous and weird!" he raised his eyebrows. I shook my head, trying to hide my amusement. "Okay, Traynor, spill your guts out now!".

"Alright, all right!" calm down mate.

XXXXXXXXXX

It was not too late. Was it? I was a bit tired after having to chat with many of our friends and Georgina had invited so many people that I didn't recognize them to our 'welcome home party' for our father. Many of them were drunk and tired at this hour.

"Here you go sir" a waiter offered me a glass of champagne. I was confused. "This is from the lady over there", he pointed at a blonde to me. I was furious. I think I knew who it was. Georgina had invited Alicia and her friends. What an opportunist that she was!

"What the bloody hell is she doing at our party?" I said out loud. I wanted to march to her and her friends to kick them out of our house. But at the moment, something else caught my eyes. Someone was trying to leave but she seemed lost. I needed to go help her. This was my opportunity.

"Is this who I think it is?" I said out loud to Louisa. I had the courage to say her name. I had to get this over with. She turned around and gave me her beautiful and genuine smile.

"Hello, William Traynor. How do you do?" she said politely. I was so happy to finally get a chance to talk to her. I wanted to see how she was doing. All the dread of the last few weeks and my fears had calmed down. Oh, how I missed that beautiful smile. Oh, how I missed those blue eyes that expressed every emotion in her being. But before I could manage to say something, something or someone tripped on me. Of course, I knew it was Alicia. I could smell the stink of her breath. She was drunk. Was this her plan all along? Was it her plan to come here, get drunk, and wait for me to save her? What a moron!

"Hello, my darling," she said. "Oh, how I missed you" she gave me a kiss on my lips and squeezed my cheeks. Words cannot describe my anger for this woman. I had no idea that she would do this in front of Louisa. I could see from the corner of my eyes that Louisa got uncomfortable. Then something else happened. Alicia's friends started chanting my name so loud that they got the attention of people around us. This was so awkward. I don't understand their intention. Was it to embarrass me or Louisa? I don't know. I needed to control this situation. However, in a blink of an eye, Louisa was gone. She walked fast and exited our property. This couldn't happen. No, No, No! We didn't even get a chance to talk. I needed to set the record straight.

I tried my best to shout out her name, "Louisa. Louisa!". She was already far gone.

I could not lose this opportunity. I put Alicia down on her knees and asked one of the security guards to escort her and her friends out of our property.

"This isn't over, William Traynor" Alicia said with a mock.

I didn't look back for a second. I tried to use all my energy to go after Louisa Clark and see where she was heading. I was not letting her leave without an explanation.

It was dark and it was getting colder. I was starting to get nervous. I think I saw a glimpse of her walking down toward the castle into the maze. Was she familiar with this part of the town? I tried to follow her and from the distant, I saw that she headed down to the maze.

It was dead silent in the maze. I could hear the wind blow and the leaves of the trees moving. I wondered how familiar she was walking down in here? Would she get lost? Would she need my assistant? As I walked down the maze, my favorite place to go since I was a child, I heard her panting. I tried to be really quiet but the rocks under my feet made noise. I tried not to scare so I decided to call her name once again. "Louisa Clark, Louisa, I am here. It's me".

As I slowly approached her, I saw in her eyes that she was scared. I looked around and no one and nothing was in between us. She must have been really scared of something. All of a sudden, her knees gave out, and she fell into my arms crying.


End file.
